Tatum Comes Home

by Tatum Talks, Mica Stone

Tatum from @hi.this.is.tatum, one of the TikTok and Instagram’s most beloved “talking” dogs, stars in this heartfelt and humorous story about a charismatic canine’s journey home.

The millions of fans who love Tatum’s distinctive quirks and hilarious voice are in for a treat with this uplifting adventure from The Dog Agency, as are fans of feel-good fiction by Victoria Schade, Annie England Noblin, and Bruce Cameron.

AN EXCERPT FROM TATUM'S

"Here’s a few fings I learned on my vacation . . . beef jerkey is delightfoo, hikin is just walkin but for a long time, and if you get into someone’s truck they don’t know where you live also you have to tell them you’re in the truck. Also I fink maybe I wasn’t on vacation?"

***

The late May air is filled with the rich scents of a Maine spring, and Tatum, a sweet, rust-colored rescue dog, is enjoying a trip to the hardware store with his dad when a heavy thunderstorm blows in. Frightened, Tatum scampers off to hide—and buries himself beneath a blanket on a nearby truck.

When Tatum wakes, hungry and confused, he’s hours from home. The truck’s kind owner promises to get him back to his family, but that’ll be no easy feat. Tatum lost his collar during his travels, and with power out because of the storm, the local vet can’t scan for a chip.

But Tatum, with his deep golden eyes and trusting gaze, has a knack for making friends—and for letting humans know exactly what’s on his mind. While his mum and dad do everything they can to track him down, the people Tatum meets on his journey are just as eager to do their part to get him home. And in turn, Tatum has a way of nudging everyone he encounters to overcome hurdles, seek out second chances, and find—or make—the families they need.

Genres: Animals, Fiction, Contemporary, Dogs, Humor, Adventure

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2023

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are in the mood for a feel-good, heartwarming, and cute story featuring a lost dog, then Tatum Comes Home by Tatum Talks and Mica Stone should be on your books to consider list. It’s late May in Maine when Tatum, a rescue dog, goes to the hardware store with his dad. A thunderstorm hits the area and he gets frightened. Tatum ends up hiding in a nearby truck. He wakes up hungry, confused, and hours from home. This is the story of Tatum trying to get home and the people and animals he encounters along the way.

While the story is fictional, it features a real dog with an active social media following. Each chapter starts with Tatum’s travel diary told in his “voice” and with deliberate misspellings. Thankfully, these are short sections. While the story is somewhat simplistic and repetitive, it was still a fun book to read. Themes include friendship, families, love, animals, and much more.

Overall, this was an entertaining and charming story that lightened my day.

Kensington Books provided a complimentary physical copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date was October 24, 2023.
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My 3.82 rounded to 4 stars review.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book from my TBR since my cat escaped out of my house in the middle of the night while I was sleeping this week. After an extremely stressful day I did find him but I was totally in the mood to read about a lost animal meeting amazing people who take care of him and help him find his way home after this mini-adventure. This book is sweet and funny and has very little basis in reality. But if you suspend all possible disbelief it was a fun ride. Tatum gets scared during a storm and gets into the wrong truck and takes a long ride. Due to the storm the chip network is down but the man who found him is determined to help get Tatum home. Unfortunately Tatum is good at getting lost, but fortunately Tatum’s world is full of kind hearted people. I had never heard of Tatum before this (I am way more a cat person) but his personality is fun and I can see how he became a social media star.

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatum Comes Home is a cute family themed story of a beloved pet (Tatum) and the people who help him find his way back home. The story is loosely based on TikTok sensation Tatum of Tatum Talks. While I did check Tatum’s Instagram account, I didn’t feel that Tatum’s social media status added any value to the narrative. In fact, I think the social media posts detracted from the storyline in the novel.

The plot follows a pretty straightforward lost and found theme. There weren’t any plot twists. But there were tangential stories that were supposed to add some additional drama. However, I felt that those tangential stories were there as fillers to boost the word count as I didn’t think they did much to enhance the story itself.

There were so many characters in the novel that it got a little tedious to keep track of them all. And because there were so many characters, I didn’t feel that any were developed to their full potential.

Overall, I found Tatum Comes Home to be entertaining and enjoyable. And since I love animal stories — especially dog stories, Tatum Comes Home was a win with four stars.

I received a DRC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Donne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an adorable doggie lost & found/rescue story. Yeah, it reads like a Lifetime movie, but here’s the thing about that, I enjoy a good Lifetime movie every now and then, especially with doggies!!! In the spirit of total transparency as well as for anyone who hasn’t read many of my reviews, I am a diehard, devoted, long-time, dog mama who has been blessed to have made a home for a boatload of amazing rescue doggies (over the course of 30+yrs) and who will now hold a place in my heart and soul forever.

The book summary pretty much lays out the primary storyline. What the book summary is pretty vague about is the devastation that Tatum’s family is experiencing and the lengths that they go through to find their precious fur baby. There are also all the really wonderful dog people that Tatum has the good fortune to be “found” by. Because we all know, there are a lot of people that would not be kind, at all, to a lost doggie. Kind and considerate dog people are good people in my book😊

There’s Jeb, the lonely widower whose own pup recently crossed the rainbow bridge and who has a crush for the local vet, who may have a crush of her own for Jeb. Then there’s hiker Cheryl who is struggling with a contentious relationship with her mother, since her father left a few years ago. Ther’s hiker Frank who has lost his beloved parents, but still manages their bookstore that he inherited from them. There’s the rural farm family who are in the beginning stages of an empty nest with their two oldest going off to college (on scholarships) in the near future and who are concerned about how they cannot afford to send their youngest to veterinary college and how they will run the farm alone.

Tatum’s presence in these amazing people’s lives and the effect that he has on them makes for a heartwarming story. Being around Tatum inspires them all to consider the amazing benefits and companionship and the wonderful feelings that having a dog produces. In this story, we learn that you don’t have to be a dog mama and/or papa to know and experience how amazing dogs are. The ending was a bit of a tear-jerker, at least for me it was.

This seems to be the first of a series, one that I will definitely be adding to my to-read list. I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #TatumComesHome

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Tatum runs from a thunderstorm and hitches a ride that takes him 5 hrs from home. Then not once, but twice he runs away looking for home. This is the story of how his family chased him down and the people who helped.

The great part of this story is that Tatum spoke to you at the beginning of each chapter. And if you listened to the audio, like I did, you could hear Tatum - just like you can hear him on his podcasts.

I thought this was a touching story, made even better by what Tatum contributed. If you have ever loved a dog, or lost a dog, this series is a great one.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming story about a lost dog and the people who help him along the way. We get to see how one little dog, Tatum, can bring together dog lovers and change their lives. We also get to see Tatum’s family and how devastated they feel losing their beloved fur baby and the lengths they will go to find him.

Being a dog lover, this book really pulled and my heart strings. I related to Charles and Nicole. I had a dog get lost once and I could not sleep until he was found. But on the other hand the story melted my heart at what length these strangers went to help Tatum find his humans and Charles and Nicole find Tatum.

If you are a dog lover I highly recommend this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own, I have not been influenced by anyone.

[Angelica Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of Tatum telling stories is simply amazing! This story of Tatum going on “vacation” was funny and heartfelt! Tatum’s diary entries were the best part in my opinion. They made sure to include his way of wording things, lol. My favorite line was, “Also no buddy ever told me Santa’s name is Jed…” That should be the new One Christmas quote or at least put on a t-shirt! This is definitely a must read if you are animal lover or if you just have fallen for Tatum.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - This is a cute fictional story starring a real life dog who is a social media star! I read mostly mysteries and thrillers, but this was a relaxing change of pace. The fictional version of Tatum gets lost and meets several new friends and brings people together during his journey home. There are parts at the beginning of each chapter that are told in Tatum's voice. This is a story about love, friendship, and families and was a fun, easy read. I think it would work well for young adults as well.

I received an advance copy of this book from Kensington Books and Between the Chapters, but my review is voluntary and unbiased. 

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying I am an animal lover & love books about dogs. I read this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. I cried at the beginning of the book as Tatum finds himself far from home, missing his mum & dad. Throughout his adventures, you just want him to get home but he gets to meet so many good people willing to help him. Of course, I cried like a baby when he is finally reunited with his mum & dad. If you like reading dog stories like this, you will love this book; just have tissues nearby! Thank you Netgalley & Kensington books for giving me the pleasure of enjoying this book & sharing it with others!

[Taleah Ushendibaba]

I requested this book because I absolutely love tatum on tiktok; however, I sadly dnf'd this book. I tried to read it on both my kindle and on audio but still did not click with the book. I felt like it was definitely for a younger age group but was not advertised as such. I think that maybe if tatum would have done the whole audio voice, I would have liked it better since I did get the book for him. I hope this book is good for others & I will definitely keep watchin tatum on tiktok!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for animal stories, of any kind, so I was excited to be given an opportunity to read this book. It is the story of Tatum (apparently a Tik-Tok celeb, although I have not seen it) who gets scared in a very bad storm, jumps into the wrong pickup and travels hundreds of miles from home. It is the story of all the people who unite in an effort to get him back to his owners. During the stories we are treated to excerpts from Tatum's "diary" and other thoughts that are going on in his head. A cute story, although I think the reading age is more 10-16 than adult, although I did like it. The ending made me cry happy tears, although I am sad that Tatum never did get his pizza! Thanks, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the chance to read this book.

[Karen M · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has had dogs in her life for many years, I can say this is a very touching story of a dog who defies the odds and is returned home.

Tatum, like most dogs, is terrified of thunderstorms and this becomes a problem when he escapes from the his owner’s truck and runs and runs and finally knows he needs to return to the truck but where is it in the big parking lot? After searching, while frightened by the storm, he finds the truck and jumps into the bed and hides under a blanket.

It’s not his owner’s truck but Tatum doesn’t know this and soon Tatum is hours away from home and there the journey of his return home begins.

Sweet story of a big goofy dog who made a mistake and was so lucky to meet kindhearted people who helped him in his journey.

I enjoyed this story and I admit the last couple of chapters brought a few tears to my eyes. Having loved my dogs and almost losing one of them because I thought I could walk away for two minutes and she would stay put, well, don’t ever walk away or turn your back on your best friend because they will try to find you in a panic and it might not have a happy ending for you.

Thank you for the copy of this book Between The Chapters, Kensington Books and the author, Mica Stone and, of course, Tatum.

[Savannah Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tatum= 10/10 We love Tatum. This book…not so much. It was very cutesy and would be fun to read with you kiddos but just wasn’t interesting to me. I really struggled to pick it up and finish it.

[Aniko Nagyne vig · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a very nice base idea to have Tatum, the lost dog touch and make everyone’s life better, whom he meets during his week of away from his family. I found it quite annoying, that the point of view changed so much, I understand why it was needed for the story, but I didn’t love it. Also some of the decision. It was a bit too much of everything in places to force the story going, of silliness of Tatum, all the coincidences of the storm, conveniently in and out of phone service, not to mention no one doing a search on Tatum’s name in the internet. A bit too many side characters all miraculously working out of their years long problems in days. Also some bits like Tatum running after a stranger by jumping out of a car and not turning back after he was at the trailhead and it did not smell like his owner, while he supposed to be a well trained dog and someone was calling him back, was not believable along with some of his other behavior. I also did not like the two different Tatum voices, the ones in Italics at the beginning of the chapter were annoying, and sometimes out of context, not matching the chapters. It was the weirdest thing when the chapter was also in Tatum’s point of view and the shorts has a strong accent while the chapters do not.
I expected more based on the short description.

I got the book on a giveaway from #Kensingtonbooks, thank you.

#TatumComesHome #HiThisIsTatum

[KateT16 · Rating 3 out of 5]

***2.5 rounded to 3****
I love dogs and I love books bout dogs! So I thought I'd be the perfect reader for this book. Unfortunately, although Tatum Comes Home (a fictional story about a real dog who is an Instagram star--I never followed him before & now I do!) is a sweet story, it is rather simplistic, reading more like a fun, younger, middle grade book or a story that could have been made into a beautiful picture book for younger kids. It is very repetitive, repeating the details over and over, seemingly almost to the point of feeling like a filler to make a complete book rather than adding to the story. When I listened to the actual Tatum's "voice" on Instagram, it was cute and fun, but Tatum's written "voice" at the beginning of each chapter felt annoying with it's intentionally misspelled words and baby talk. It wasn't as funny or insightful as the Instagram version. The many, many characters also detracted from and diluted the story, with the best part of the story being where the hiker who finds Tatum and the man on the trail meet up. It felt most like a more mature story that could have easily been explored more and been the basis for most of book. I think I might have also. rated the story higher had it been based on a true story about a dog or a true story from Tatum's life.
This is a sweet story that will be perfect for those who love dogs and want a simple story that will make them smile.

[Lauren | TransportedLFL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kensington for the giveaway win. These opinions are my own.

Tatum is a dog on TikTok, and this novel is based around him as a character. It's not based on a real story, but it is based on the real dog. In it, Tatum ends up hundreds of miles away from home during a storm. The novel details his adventures and all the people he meets to get reunited with his family.

I really enjoyed Tatum's voice in his road trip diaries and the hint of Christmas they added to the story. This is a sweet tale with lots of great characters, all of whom of course loved dogs. And there were many reminders of the importance of microchipping our pets, so we can reunite if they are ever lost.

The tone was quite young, so I recommend this as a book that the whole family can read together. And of course, I especially recommend it for dog lovers.

Rounded up to 4 stars

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the 'Dear Reader' introduction, that the author loves pets more than people. That's me exactly. I probably have more pictures on my phone of pets that I do of people, with the only exception being my grandchildren. This is a cute little book about a lost dog finding his way home. It's not the type of dog story I expected it to be. Seems to be written more for middle school kids or young adults. It was a very simple and quick read, but I don't expect to be reading any more books in the series. Thank you to Kensington books for the free copy to read and review. Much appreciated.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot resist to a book with a dog or a cat on the cover and I know I will cry bucket if the pet is abandoned or something happens.
This book made me cry and smile. Even if I'm always a bit wary of the TikTok part this is a well plotted and sweet story.
Loved Tatum, made me wish I could adopt a dog
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute animal story with feel good ending. I thought it fun as the perspective changed between dog and human characters.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Shauna Bivens · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 ⭐️Cute but a few too many “detours” for my liking. Nonetheless, I love this TikTok dog I’ve never met, and still teared up at the ending. If only we could actually hear what our dogs are thinking/saying!

[Debbie Retzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatum is a good dog who is afraid of storms. When he gets caught in a storm with his dad, a series of mishaps starts Tatum on a “vacation “ far from home. Along the way he meets several people who help him on his journey back to his mum and dad. Tatum’s predicament brings all these people together as they enjoy his company and find things out about themselves.
I enjoyed this easy read very much and recommend it to anyone that loves animals, especially dogs.
#TatumComesHome
#HiThisIsTatum

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book. A quick, easy read, it was fun, sweet and heartwarming. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 Stars
An inspirational doggie tale of a serendipitous journey back to his family, this novel is endearing and heartfelt. Okay for younger readers, this one is for those readers who want a quick and easy and happy read. There's a little repetition, but overall, it's fun.

Kensington BTC Giveaway

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from GoodReads. I'm a huge fan of hi.this.is.tatum online and I really wasn't sure how his life would translate into a novel. The story was good and I had to keep saying it's fiction. It's ok Tatum, mum, dad are ok. The characters are loveable and the story believable. It did feel a bit long at times but that's how it goes. If you love Tatum or know someone that does, then this is a good read for them.

[Mary Ann Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I was already familiar with Tatum on TikTok and this story makes his journey so real that I really was so worried for him! The humans were written in depth and were very engaging!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tatum Comes Home (The Dog Agency Novels) by Tatum Talks

Tatum the dog finds himself in a strangers vehicle after hiding from a scary storm. As he worries about finding his way home he encounters an adventure of a lifetime. Making frineds along the way both human and animal he is sure to touch the hearts of all.

A fantstic heart warming, funny and charming story. Tatum is very lovable, I could not help but fall in love with him. I was cheering him on journey and waiting for him to reutine with his owners.

Overall I found Tatum Comes Home very enjoyable. I highly recommend to those who love animals or just want a feel good read. Definietly a five-star read !

[Pamela King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatum Comes Home is a fictional story about a real dog called Tatum. It is an uplifting story of the adventures of a dog who gets separated from his family and the people who do everything in their power to help him return home.

I had never heard of Tatum, a social media star, so I came to this book without preconceived expectations.

I felt so silly when reading the end of a book through tears of joy but that’s what Tatum’s story did to me.

The story begins when Tatum Jumps out of his Dad’s truck. When a violent electrical storm hits he hides in the to the back of another truck and ends up miles from home.

The truck owner, Jed, tries to find Tatum’s family but although he is microchipped the internet is out due to the storm and no one can discover his home address.

While travelling to another vet with Jed to have the chip read, Tatum thinks he sees his Mum in the bush and chases after her.

I enjoyed reading Tatum’s adventure immensely and it was heart warming reading the commitment of his new friends in their attempt to get him home.

Other messages are there also – making new friends and helping not just a dog but also fellow humans.

All the characters felt real and shone through.

Each chapter begins with. We get insight into Tatum’s thoughts through his notes in his ‘diary’.

Here’s an example

Dear road trip diary, Val is just like all the vets where I live cuz she seems nice and gives me tweats but also none of the other animals is happy to be there. Jed looks at Val like Dad loks at Mum, which is the same as me when I look at the lady in the drive-fru window at the nuggets place. Val and Jed and me is gunna get more food, so I fink I’m on vacation like Mum and Dad.
When I finished the book, I checked out his social media post to see if the characters (Tatum and his Mum and Dad) came across the same. They do.… and yes, I am now following Tatum on social media.

You certainly don’t need to be a Tatum fan to enjoy this captivating story. It is not just for Tatum fans and followers but any dog lover who likes a sweet positive dog story.

My rating 4*

Thank you to Netgalley & Kensington Books for the opportunity to get to know Tatum through this delightful story.

#netgalley #kensingtonbooks

[Georgianne Georgiadis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute book. If you are on Facebook or Instagram and these days who isn’t on social media than you have probably seen on of Tatum videos.Tatum and his dad go to the store and on the way home Tatum dad stops to make sure what he is bringing home is secure. When he does that because it is storming Tatum gets frightened and runs off but he comes back and gets into what he thinks is his dad truck but it is not his dad truck. Everyone that Tatum meets along his journey to return home has one goal in mind to get him back to his dad and mom. Jed whose truck he jumped into, Valerie the local veterinarian Cheryl who he sees and thinks is his mom, Frank who Tatum and Cheryl meet while hiking and the the Miller family Randall, Helen , Abby and Doug whose farm is where Tatum is finally reunited with his mom and dad. I loved the little paragraph before each chapter started that was written as if Tatum was talking. This is for the dog parents, the dog lovers and anyone who want a sweet story. Thank you Between the Chapters and Kensington Publishing for sending me this ARC.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet. I love Tatum. He warms my heart. A sweet little little book. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and give a review.
This was a lighthearted and fun read. I could hear Tatum talking as I read it.

I just reviewed Tatum Comes Home by Tatum Talks; Mica Stone. #TatumComesHome #NetGalley